The Circle Maker Devotion- part 3 (Be a Risk-Taker)

For those following along with the book study, The Circle Maker, here's the next installment.  My ladies book study covered Chapters five and six.  One of the first things that Batterson points out is that circle makers are risk takers.  Moses took a risk to tell the Israelites God's plans.  Noah took a risk building the arc.  Honi took a risk stepping into the circle and praying for rain.  Prophets were often stoned if prophecies did not come true.  They were risking reputation and life to be faithful to God.  Batterson mentions you could be one defining decision away from a totally different life.  Our ladies book study talked about the music group, Casting Crowns.  They started out doing youth ministry.  They made a demo of the music they were performing for youth and thought about sending it to a record label, but then felt they needed to be faithful to youth ministry and did not send the demo off.  Later, one of the college students in their ministry took the demo to his baseball coach.  That coach was friends with Mark Miller of Sawyer Brown.  He was friends with Steven Curtis Chapman.  They didn't have to promote their music.  God did.  Batterson spoke of God telling he and his wife to give.  Fifty dollars didn't seem like much, but was hard to give.  God was faithful to provide and multiplied whenever they gave.  Jesus was great at multiplying.  He made five loaves of bread and two fish multiply to feed five thousand people.  The Israelites were in the desert and were wanting God to perform a miracle.  (Numbers 11)  They were complaining to God about all the manna they had to eat.  They started saying that at least in Egypt they got free fish and vegetables, but they were forgetting that if wasn't free.  It cost them their freedom.  The Israelites were complaining about one miracle while asking for another.  Even though this made God angry, God still answered their prayer.  Quail are unable to fly long distances.  The Israelites were located quite a distance inland.  Suddenly, a supernatural wind blew quail inland to where the Israelites were camped.  When quail get tired, they dive-bomb, so it was literally raining 105 million quail.  It equaled out to the Israelites being 3 feet deep in meat.  This showed that it is not up to us to figure out how God is going to do stuff.  It's our job to trust Him, take a risk, and step out.  Pray big prayers!  Batterson mentioned God had shown him that God would give him 2 million dollars to enlarge his church.  He tried his own plans to earn the 2 million, but only lost $15,000 of his own money.  When he was faithful and stepped out where he was, God provided 3 million dollars from unlikely sources.  This allowed him to carry out the plans God gave him.  Batterson mentioned that just because things don't happen right away doesn't mean that God is saying no.  He may be saying not yet.  In the Bible, when God gave Peter the vision that told Peter to go to Cornelius' house and minister to the Gentiles, Peter questioned God.  This was risky and could make the Jewish leaders angry.  Ultimately, Peter was obedient to God and that decision opened the doors of Christianity to all Gentiles (us)!  (Acts 10-11)  A young mother named Hattie had a similar vision from God that showed the cruelty of slavery.  She recorded all God had shown her and continued until she ran out of paper and wrote on brown grocery paper.  This vision became a book, Uncle Tom's Cabin, that would change our country and influence our world.  Don't underestimate what God can do.  Batterson mentions that bold prayer can make more difference than a thousand well-laid plans.  So instead of brainstorming, try praystorming. 

Note: By the way, at the end of this book study on Thursday, we prayed that a young woman in the group could sale her car and get a new one before her baby was born in the next week.  Her car was too small.  The next day, she was able to not only sale her current car, but get a new car to hold her baby that will be here this week!  God is so good!!!  If you have prayers, let us know.  Our group would love to join with you in prayer that God move and show Himself real in your lives!

Have a great week high-heeled warriors!